Key 71 Acres Added to Pondicherry Wildlife Refuge

The Nature Conservancy assists U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in protecting additional important bird habitat.

JEFFERSON, N.H. — Feb. 28, 2007 — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy announced today the addition of 71 acres to the Pondicherry Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson and Whitefield.

The newly acquired tract is in Jefferson, between Cherry Pond and Route 115, and is bounded on three sides by the Pondicherry refuge. It includes several streams and wetlands that flow into Moorhen Marsh on the refuge.

Arrangements to purchase this property were made by the New Hampshire chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which has previously helped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquire more than 1,400 acres at Pondicherry. The Conservancy purchased the property from Kevin DeWitt and Michelle Simpson and will transfer the property to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Funds for the acquisition come from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.

“The work accomplished by The Nature Conservancy to acquire this tract for inclusion in the National Wildlife Refuge System further assures the integrity of the Pondicherry area,” said Andrew French, project leader of the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. “The Pondicherry area is recognized as a National Natural Landmark and was designated as New Hampshire’s first Important Bird Area.”

The area has long been known for its exceptional bird habitat, supporting some 230 species, including 13 species of high conservation concern, such as common loon, northern harrier, sora, rusty blackbird, whip-poor-will, American woodcock, and American black duck. The area also supports 41 species of mammals, 20 amphibian and reptile species, and 17 fish species.

Dave Govatski, president of the Friends of Pondicherry and chair of the Jefferson Conservation Commission, particularly likes the woodcock habitat on this tract. “This acquisition provides an important buffer for Moorhen Marsh and protects prime American woodcock habitat,” Govatski said.

With the new addition, the Pondicherry Division now totals 5,426 acres, including 166 acres protected by conservation easement. The refuge is a division of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses six other refuges and critical habitats in the Connecticut River watershed.

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The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 14 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 83 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Since 1961 The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire has helped protect more than 265,000 acres of ecologically significant land and currently owns and manages 28 preserves across the state. For more information, visit The Nature Conservancy online at www.nature.org/newhampshire.